Friday, September 11

This is a picture of some elderberries on a tree in our front yard. We also have two more trees in the back, although one of those is still on the mend after a raccoon tried climbing its slender trunk last year — giving it a serious bend. Larry used to make elderberry wine.

Monday, September 7

In (I think) 1960, back in my home town in Germany, my mother purchased for me my first copy of Micky Maus. It might have been #4 of that year's series. Subsequent issues were also bought for me, until I had a small stack, and these I brought with me to Canada when we emigrated in May of that year. Thus my hoarding craze began. For the few years that I managed to hold onto those comic books I was somewhat annoyed at not having those missing (#1-3) issues.

In 1967 I started collecting Scientific American magazines. Soon aware that its then-current format started in May 1948 I began seeking out back issues. Thirty-some years later I had garnered not only those but additional monthlies going back to 1920 and assorted weeklies going all the way back to 1845.